Chico State Athletics

2020–21
Earned CCAA All-Academic honors for the 2020–21 academic year.
 
2019–20
Earned All-CCAA and All-West Region cross country honors in 2019…Opened with an 8k time of 25:07 and a third place finish September 13, 2019 at the Stump Invitational…Placed sixth thanks to a PR time of 24:15.4 September 28, 2019 at the 8k Capital Cross Challenge…Posted a 10k time of 32:00.8 on the way to a seventh place finish October 12, 2019 at the Western Washington Classic…Placed fifth (8k time of 25:06.3) October 26, 2019 at the CCAA Championships, helping the Wildcats win the conference cross country crown for the 18th straight season…Recorded a 10k PR of 30:14.7 to finish 11th November 9, 2019 at the NCAA West Regional…Delivered a 31:54.8 performance November 23, 2019 at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, finishing 137th…Did not compete in the shortened 2020 track & field season…Earned Fall CCAA All-Academic honors…Named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Cross Country Team.
 
2018–19
Opened the fall with a 42nd place finish at the Capital Cross Challenge…Placed eighth overall in the Open race at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational, recording a 24:54 personal best for the 8k…A 12th place finish at the UC San Diego Triton Invitational left Herrera just shy of the CCAA 10-man roster…Concluded the XC season with his first collegiate win at the Doc Adams Invitational, where he logged an impressive 24:46 PR…On the oval, Herrera opened the spring running the 1,500m and 800m at the Wildcat Invitational,  posting a 4:00/2:01 double…Two weeks later delivered a 3:54/1:56 double was achieved at the Hornet Invitational…The Bryan Clay Invitational netted a PR time of 3:52.2 in the 1,500…Concluded the 2019 track season with a podium finish in the CCAA Championship 1500m final, placing third overall with a time of 3:53…Earned three CCAA All-Academic awards.
 
2017–18
Opened up the cross country season with back-to-back 25:31 8k performances at the Riverside and Capital Cross meets…The Western Washington Invitational brought a 22nd place finish with a solid 32:27 clocking over the 10k layout…The post season track 5k brought a sub-15 minute time with a 14:55 PR…Concluded the season with a 15th place showing at the Doc Adams Invational…On the track, opened the season with a 3:57/1:58 double for the 1,500/800 at the Wildcat Invitational…Notched a PR time of 1:55 in the 800m at the San Francisco Distance Carnival…Raced to a 3:55.1 PR in the 1,500m during the Bryan Clay Invitational…Qualified for the 1,500m final at the CCAA Championships, where he concluded the season with a ninth place effort.
 
2016–17
Redshirted both cross country and track during his first year at Chico State...Opened the fall with a 26:02 8k debut at the Capital Cross Challenge in Sacramento…Followed with a 26:08 at the Bronco Invitational in Santa Clara…Raced to a PR time of 15:13 in the team’s postseason 5k track time trial…Recorded a top-10 finish in the Doc Adams Invitational with his first sub-26 8k (25:48 final time)…Concluded fall season with his best cross country race yet, finishing 34th at the Pacific Association USATF Championships, running 33:14 over the rugged 6-mile Golden Gate Park course…On the track, opened the season with a 4:05/1:59 double in the 1,500 and 800 meters at the Wildcat Invitational…Ran an 8:47 3k PR in the team’s preseason time trial…Dropped his 1,500-meter PR to 4:01 at the San Francisco Distance Carnival, then doubled back the next day with a 1:56 in the 800m…Placed third in his 1,500m heat at the Chico Twilight Invitational with a 4:03 run…Won his heat at Cal’s Brutus Hamilton Open with a 4:01 PR-tying 1,500 meters...Concluded a productive redshirt campaign with a 3:58.9 for 1,500 meters at the West Coast Last Chance meet.

Pre-Chico Days
Managed solid results in both cross country and track at San Mateo’s Junipero Serra High School despite splitting time between running and playing on the Padres’ soccer team…Finished fourth overall as a junior and fifth as a senior in the West Catholic Athletic League cross country championships, winning All-League honors both years…Placed ninth at the 2015 Central Coast Section cross country championships as a junior…Recorded a 15:45 time on the challenging Crystal Springs course…On the track specialized in the 800m event, recording a fourth place finish and a 1:56 PR at the 2016 WCAL championships…Named Serra High’s Most Valuable Runner in 2014 and again in 2015.
 
Personal
Born August 29, 1997, in San Francisco…Son of Michael and Gina Carey Herrera…Has one younger brother, Aidan…His grandfather Kevin Carey, who won the 1966 NCAA soccer championships with the University of San Francisco, is his hero…The person he most admires in the sports world is LeBron James (“because of his ability to dominate a sport for over 15 years. I also admire his philanthropy, community outreach, and striving towards equality for all people. I also like his ‘More Than An Athlete’ campaign with Uninterrupted”)…Favorite course at Chico State is Introduction to Adapted Physical Activity, taught by Carli Ross…Chose to attend Chico State “because of our incredible cross country program”…His greatest sports moment was being a part of the 2019 Chico State men’s cross country team that finished third at the NCAA Championships in Sacramento…The most interesting thing he’s ever done is drive across the country…The most impressive thing he’s ever accomplished is earning his college degree…Has learned by running cross country “the value of perseverance. I have also learned that you have to genuinely enjoy something if you want to succeed”…Enjoys watching sports, listening to music, and spending time with friends…Claims his biggest talent outside of cross country is naming classic 80s rock songs and bands…Says “I’m pretty good at roller blading and ice skating…At the top of his bucket list: “Travel to Europe”…Best advice ever received: “Believe in yourself”… Currently working towards a master’s degree in kinesiology, with an emphasis is adapted physical activity…Plans to pursue a career in coaching and working with special needs people.
 
Personal Best Marks
8k XC: 24:15
10k XC: 30:14
800m: 1:55
1,500m: 3:52
5,000m: 14:55